Sowing Spiritual Seed
Gal. 6:7-10
Ask any person new to gardening, what is the hardest part to get used to, and they will almost undoubtedly say... WAITING!
Gardening is a wonderful experience if you’re not in any hurry to see the results! It’s like watching a child turn into a young adult....it takes time!
Sowing spiritual seed is probably one of the most unpredictable tasks we can undertake, and yet it is definitely THE MOST REWARDING!!
You know how you feel when those red tomatoes area ready for harvesting, and you can take them inside and use them in a salad or give to friends and family?
Multiply that a hundred times and you still will not compare to the experience of planting seeds of faith and seeing them grow until that person you shared with, prayed for, and invested in makes the decision of their lifetime.
There is nothing like it!
Pray
Sharing HOPE to the HOPELESS in a nightclub (Marty)
Offering spiritual directions to a truck driver(Mike)
Knocking on doors in residential areas
Handing out invitations at the mall
Serving with Billy Graham Telethon
It’s estimated that about 95% of Christians have never led anyone to Christ.
That’s not to say that they did not have an impact on people. As the old saying goes; “you can’t fail at sowing, unless you fail to sow!”
We can be virtual tracts - sharing our lives by living for Christ!
In chapter 5 of Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia, he talks about fruit, and he uses a comparison between good and evil, the Spiritual nature and the sinful nature.
When he gets into chapter 6, he takes that illustration of fruit back to it’s beginnings and focuses on sowing spiritual seed.
We start in verse 7 of Galatians 6.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
He starts out by saying, “do not be deceived”
e.g, do not accept as true or valid what is false or invalid
Do not buy that BUCKET of BOLTS that the salesman told you was a cream puff. It’s probably lemon-filled!
Satan is the father of lies. He will do whatever it take to deceive us.
Deception is his greatest tool against the Christian.
God cannot be mocked!
If we do not know it already, we cannot pull one over on God. That’s what it means - to make a mockery or a fool of God. To snub your nose at him.
To try to hide the truth from Him.
What was it that Paul was referring to? God cannot be mocked??
Verse 3-4 They had false impressions of themselves. Paul knew it.
He knew they were calling themselves spiritual but were not!
A man reaps what he sows.
In other words, you get what you give.
That’s what Paul is talking about - GIVING
Time, energy, resources, finances, faith, hope, love
If you put $20 week in a sock and hide it under your pillow, 10 years from now you would have $10,400 dollars. (if someone else didn’t find it first!)
If you don’t put it away (if you don’t sow) you will have nothing!!
God allows us to decide what, where and how much... we sow!
He loves a cheerful giver!
In verse 8, Paul elaborates a bit
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction;
We have the opportunity to sow as we choose. If we choose to sow to our sinful desires and passions of the flesh, and become self-focused...
If we spend all our money on ourselves and waste all our time on that which is sinful and selfish, we will never be satisfied! The sinful nature says; there is never enough - I WANT MORE!
the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Don’t we already have eternal life?? What do you suppose this means??
If we give of ourselves to the work of the kingdom of GOD, if we support the church with our finances, talents and time, if we spend ourselves on the mission of reaching the unchurched for CHRIST, we will truly have Spiritual blessing!
God will make our lives in this life more meaningful and in the life to come we will experience the joys of eternal life. Life forever with Jesus!
Verse 9
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap
a harvest if we do not give up.
Just as in a backyard garden, it takes time for those green peppers to become ready to eat, doing the work of God and seeing the result of our labor will take time. We must not become weary! The harvest is just around the corner!!
A Harvest for Elm Street!! > It’s going to take time, but it will come!
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Therefore, meaning because of what we just read, because sowing spiritual seed is the most important thing we can do...
As we have opportunity, no matter where we are, what we’re doing, regardless of the fact that the SuperBowl is just about to start...
WHEN the opportunity arises - - let us do good to all people,
Especially to those who belong to the family of believers!
Our caring and giving must START right here! Our church family!
How can we take caring to the community unless we care for one another first and foremost? We need to CARE for one-another!
So what about this Spiritual Seed?
Where do we get it?
What do we do with it?
Where do we start?
How do we do it?
Let’s look at those questions and see what the answer is for each of them
Where do we get it?
2 Cor 9:10
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
Who is Paul referring to here? God!
God is the giver of the seed. He gives us everything we need to plant, so that we may have a harvest of righteousness.
Seeds In Mustard Plant
A gardener, prompted by curiosity, counted the seed pods on a medium-sized mustard plant. There were 85. The average number of seeds in each pod was eight. Since two crops in a given year could be matured, the gardener figured that it was possible in the interim between February and mid-October to produce a yield of 462,000 seeds, all from one original plant.
Many other species of plants far exceed that increase.
If the seed of a mustard plant can produce that kind of result, IMAGINE what the Spiritual seed that God gives us can do!
Remember the Parable of the Sower? The seed that got tossed all over?
The disciples wanted to know the meaning of the parable, so in
Luke 8:11 Jesus explains:
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God”
The seed is the word of God!
So in 2 Cor 9:10 that we just looked at, when Paul says, that “He will supply seed for the sower” he is saying that
God will give us His Word (JESUS) to sow in the lives of others!
What do we do with it?
What would you do if I gave you some seeds for your garden?
You would plant them I hope! You would sow the seed in your garden and then wait for it to produce a crop. You would water it daily, etc.
Sowing Spiritual Seed is very similar. We sow the seeds (God’s Word) in the lives of those we come in contact with ---
Neighbors, friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates, the dentist!
We plant that seed and we nurture it on a regular basis, with a healthy diet of the fruits of the Spirit - Peace, patience, joy and Prayer!
Then we wait for it to be ready for harvest!
We must plant on “GOOD SOIL” if we want good results!
Mark 4:8 (Parable of the Sower)
“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”
We should be praying regularly for God to lead us to those who have
“good soil” in their hearts.
Just like a backyard garden needs good soil and fertilizer, etc.
God prepares our hearts so that we are ready for the seed when it is sown!
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Cor 9:6)
Where do we start?
Just like we would in planting a garden, we start in our own backyard!
What do I mean by that?? The Woodlawn community!
Springvale, Madison, Spruce, Jefferson, Calhoun, Jackson, Elm and all the other streets in this neighborhood - there is good soil here! God is preparing hearts.
This area is crying out for God’s love, hope and direction. But they will never find it unless we sow spiritual seed in their lives!
How do we do it?
It must begin with a Vision! The vision of reaching this community for Christ!
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is NO VISION, the people perish!
35 Years Ago Elm Street Church celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary!
This church, although made up of some different members was a church of Vision! A church that was active in evangelism, outreach and caring!
Last night I read through the Bulletin which was handed out back in 1968 at that 50th Anniversary Celebration, and I read these words from Pastor Hatch:
(READ BOOK)
That VISION must be renewed in order for us to continue to grow!
I BELIEVE THAT WITH GOD’S HELP, WE CAN FULFILL THE WORK OF REACHING THIS VINEYARD FOR CHRIST!!
DO YOU BELIEVE? WE MUST NOT DOUBT!!
A bountiful harvest as scripture promises is only possible if we believe!
CATCH A VISION - Look around you. Those seats are going to be filled! Lives are going to be changed! GOD is going to be GLORIFIED!
In Closing
If we want to see our church filled with new believers, we must be ready to do some sowing!
Don’t believe Satan’s lies - We will only reap what we sow
God provides the seed - we must do the sowing!
Pray for Good Soil
Let’s not become weary - The harvest is just around the corner!
Grab ahold of the VISION that GOD has for ELM STREET
Pray
Benediction -
And now may the giver of Spiritual Seed, God our father, provide you with everything you need to produce a bountiful harvest in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen
Rev. Nick Scarpa
01/07/2003
Elm Street Baptist Church
Everett, MA
